Squeezable tube dispenser



S. D. HULSH SQUEEZABLE TUBE DISPENSER Feb. 25, 1964 Filed May 29, 1962 NTOR,

INVE SHELDON DAVID HULSH United States Patent 3,121,906 SQUEEZABLE TUBE DISPENSER Sheldon David Hulsh, New York, N.Y., assignor to Jerclaydon, Inca, Clifton, N.J., a corporation of Florida Filed May 29, 1962, Ser. No. 198,503 3 Claims. (Cl. 15592) This invention relates generally to squeezable tube disensers, and more particularly to a type of squeezable dispenser which provides not only the function of dispensing but also serves at the same time as an applicator device, the instant invention being an improvement over the dispenser device as shown and described in United States Patent No. 3,016,561, issued January 16, 1962.

In the past, squeezable dispensers have been known which serve as containers for a variety of substances which could be dispensed from the container by deformation of the container walls resulting in the expressing of the container contents through an aperture. Such containers almost universally include merely an aperture and a closure cap of one type or another for sealing the container when not in use. Such containers are of a very limited use for applications other than the mere dispensing of some substances such as toothpaste or certain types of food products, as for example jellies or soft cheeses.

My invention diifers from the foregoing types of squeeZa-ble dispensers in that it is not only a dispenser that contains substance but also serves as an applicator for that substance, as for example a container and applicator for an oven cleaning composition. Oven cleaning compositions, of course, in themselves are not new, but such cleaners are generally dispensed and applied by means of brushing or spraying. The brush type applicator is generally very messy to work with, whereas the spray on or aerosol type uses a relatively expensive type of packaging, together with the fact that there is frequently a substantial wastage of the cleaner due to the inability of completely exhausting the contents of the aerosol container. Moreover, both the brush type oven cleaner and the spray on type present a substantial health hazard because of the generally toxic nature of oven cleaner substances.

l" he spray on type of oven cleaner pollutes the air by causing dispersion of relatively fine particles of toxic cleaner material into the air during the spraying operation, such dispersed particles being inhalable by the user of the oven cleaner. The brush app-lied oven cleaners are used by dipping the brush into a screw capped can which tends to become loaded on the exterior of the can neck with the cleaner material, and hence foul the screw cap thread so that it becomes very diflicult to reopen such a can once the closure cap has been replaced. The threads, of course, cannot be flushed with running water in the generally recommended manner since the water will also flow into the can and dilute and render useless the cleaner material contained therein.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of my invention to provide a novel squeezable dispenser in the form of a single self contained unit which is easy to work with, inexpensive to manufacture and readily cleanable for ease of subsequent use.

Another object of my invention is to provide a novel squeezable dispenser device including a protective cover for the applicator head which simultaneously performs the function of a high leverage wrenching device permitting very tight closure of the dispenser against the possibility of opening by small children but which also allows the container to be readily openable by a person of normal adult strength.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel squeezable dispenser device which utilizes a sponge type applicator device secured to the neck of the dispenser 3,121,906 Patented Feb. 25, 1964 N'Ce in such manner that the dispenser contents may be expressed directly into the applicator sponge for direct use, the dispenser device itself being provided with means for distributing the contents thereof into the body of the applicator sponge, and to provide means for sealing the distributor during non-use to prevent the container contents from being ejected into the sponge applicator.

The foregoing and other objects of my invention Will become apparent from a reading of the following specification in conjunction with an examination of the appended drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a squeezable tube type dispensing applicator according to the invention with the applicator cover partially fragmented away to reveal certain details of the cooperative interaction between the cover and applicator cap;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the dispensing applicator as seen in FIGURE 1 with the applicator cap, applicator cover, distributor, distributor closure cap and a portion of the tube neck being shown in section to reveal pertinent details of the assembly, all as would be seen when viewed along the line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the upper part of the dispenser and applicator cap structure similar to that shown in FIGURE 2 but having the outer cover and inner closure cap removed to place the dispenser in condition for use; and

FIGURE 4 is an exploded perspective view of the dispensing applicator construction which shows the applicator cap, its cover and the inner closure cap each in section.

In the several figures, like elements are denoted by like reference characters.

Referring now to the figures, it will be seen that the dispensing applicator according to the invention comprises essentially four separable parts. These parts are, a deformable dispensing container'lil, a closure cap 20 adapted to be secured upon the top of the container 10, an applicator cap 30 screwably securable to the neck of the container ill, and a cover 49 which serves not only to enclose the applicator cap 30 but also has an effective I means for securing and removing the cap to and from the container.

The container 141 includes a main body portion 11 surmounted at its top by a neck portion 12 formed with a spiral exterior thread 13. The neck 12 is partially enclosed by a top wall 14 from which latter centrally rises a reduced diameter neck 15 exteriorly threaded as at 16 and centrally apertured as at 17. The closure cap 20- is of generally hollow cylindrical shape having a closed top 21 and open bottom. The cylindrical cap sidewall 22 is interiorly threaded as at 23 in comp-lemental fashion to the thread 16 of the reduced diameter neck 15 of the container 10. The cap 21 is thus threadedly cngageable onto the reduced diameter neck 15 to close the same in the manner best seen in FIGURE 2, and when so engaged prevents the expressing of the container contents outwardly through the neck 15 and thereby prevents fouling of the applicator unit when the dispensing container is not in use. The closure cap 2% is of course removable when it is desired to utilize the dispensing container, and when so removed the assembly in use form appears as shown in FIGURE 3. p

The container cap 30 includes a pair of concentric cylindrical formations 31 and 34 formed unitarily and secured together by an annular top wall 36 centrally apertured as at 39. This inside surface of the cylindri cal formation 34 includes a circumferentially extending thread 35 formed complementally to the thread 13 on the exterior of the container neck 12 so that the cap 30 may be screwed downwardly into firm seating engagement on the neck 12 of the container 10. The outer a cylindrical formation 31 extends upwardly for a short distance above the top wall 36 so as to form a well for receiving a cylindrical sponge applicator 38, the bottom end of which may be cemented to the upper surface of the top wall 36. The sponge applicator 38 contains an axially extending bore or through-hole 37 concentric with the hole 39 in the annular top wall 36 so that a channel or passageway is formed extending from the top surface of the sponge applicator 38 downward into the interior of the cap, whereby it will be appreciated that when the closure cap 20 has been removed from its threaded engagement with the reduced diameter neck 15 of the container the contents of the container may be expressed outward into the bore 37 for lateral distribution therefrom into and through the applicator sponge 38.

It should be noted, as best seen in FIGURE 3, that when the assembly is in its use condition with the closure cap 20 removed from the reduced diameter neck 15, the neck projects upward through the central aperture 39 in the disc top wall 36 of the applicator cap 30 and upward for a distance into the bore 37 of the sponge applicator 38. The bore side walls are observed to close fittingly surround the outside of the reduced diameter neck 15 so that when the container contents are expressed outward the contents so expressed do not tend to pass back downward to foul the cap structure but are constrained to flow upward and laterally outward directly into the applicator sponge 38. Additionally, it will be noted from the showing of FIGURE 2, in which the closure cap is engaged upon the reduced diameter neck 15, that the central opening 39 in the annular disc top wall 36 of the applicator cap is of sufiicient diameter to allow the closure cap 20 to pass upward therethrough. The cap 20 passes into the applicator sponge bore 37, and since it is of a larger diameter causes a deformation as seen in FIGURE 2. The applicator sponge 38 is of course resilient and takes the shape illustrated in FIGURES 3 and 4 when the closure cap 20 has been removed preparatory to use of the assembly.

Provision of the closure cap 20 makes it impossible to inadvertently or deliberately express the contents of the container when this cap is assembled into the dispenser in the manner seen in FIGURE 2. Apart from avoiding wastage of material, the closure cap 20 when so engaged, prevents the container contents from expressing and thereby precludes fouling of the sponge applicator 38 and the threads 13 and with the material from the container. The avoidance of such fouling is important since it avoids bonding of the applicator cap to the neck 12 of the container and also prevents the sponge 38 from becoming hard and stiff due to loading of the air spaces therein, a condition which would render the sponge unusable in a very short time.

The bottom of the outer cylindrical formation 31 of the container applicator cap 30 is flaired or skirted outward as at 33 and, as will be seen, provides a lip for anchoring the applicator cover to prevent the latter from falling off of the applicator cap 30 at undesirable times. Finally, the outer cylindrical formation 31 is formed on its exterior surface with a plurality of vertically extending ridges 32 which may best be seen in thel showing of FIGURE 1, and whose function will be also subsequently explained.

The outer cover 40 is seen to be a hollow cylindrical formation having a cylindrical side wall 41, a closed top wall 42 and an open bottom. Formed on the inside cylindrical surface 41 are a plurality of vertically extending inwardly projected ridges 43 adapted to fit into the troughs between the ridges 32 formed on the exterior surface of the applicator cap 30 outer cylindrical formation 31. This interfitting relationship is best seen in the showings of FIGURES 1 and 2. Also formed on the inside surface 41 of the cover 40 proximate the bottom are a plurality of inwardly extending horizontally disposed ridges 44. When the cover 40 is slipped downwardly over the cap 30, the ridges 44 pass downwardly and somewhat beyond the bottom edge of the skirt 33 formed on the bottom of the cylindrical formation 31 and latch thereunder. This latching arrangement is illustrated in the showings of FIGURES 1 and 2.

The container 10 is preferably, although not necessarily, formed of a relatively pliable plastic material, whereas the cover cap 40, applicator cap 30 and closure cap 20 are preferably formed of a somewhat stiffer material, such as a hard plastic. The applicator sponge 38 may be made from any spongy material, foamed plastic being one satisfactory substance. The various physical parts of the dispensing applicator assembly may come, of course, in various colors to present an attractive merchandising package, and the several parts may be transparent, translucent or opaque, according to the desired visual appearance.

On purchase, the dispensing applicator with its contents will generally appear as seen in FIGURE 1. In order to use the dispensing applicator as for example in cleaning ovens, the outer cover 49 is rotated until the cap 30 is loosened, a wrenching action being provided by the interlock between the vertically extending ridges 43 formed on the inner surface of the applicator cover 40 and the ridges 32 formed on the external surface of the applicator cap 39. Having loosened the cap 30, the cover 40 may be disengaged therefrom by providing an axial pull which causes the ridges 44 formed on the inside of the cover 40 to ride outward and upward over the skirt 33 formed at the bottom of the cap 38. The cap 30 and sponge 38, as an assembly, may then be readily unscrewed from the container to reveal the closure plug 20, which may in turn be disengaged from the reduced diameter neck 15 by merely unscrewing the same.

The cap and sponge assembly is now replaced by screwing it down upon the neck 12 with the reduced diameter neck 15 thus projecting upward into the bore 37 of the applicator sponge 38, the dispenser being then ready for use. By squeezing the body 11 of the container 10, the contents thereof are expressed outward through the aperture 17 in the reduced diameter neck 15 and into the applicator sponge 38 via its bore 37. Of course, the bore diameter '37 of the sponge 38 should be determined in accordance with the consistency of the container contents, larger diameters being suitable for pastes and viscous substances and smaller diameters being more suitable for less viscous substances.

After completion of the cleaning operation, the cover 40 may be slipped downwardly over the cap 30 until the cover inside ridges 43 interlock with the ridges 32 on the applicator cap, and the assembly of cover and applicator cap may then be unscrewed from the container 10 and removed therefrom. The neck 15 may then be wiped, after which the closure cap 20 may be screwed upon the reduced diameter neck 15 and the entire neck area flushed with running water. The applicator cap sponge assembly and the cover 40 may now also be flushed with running water to thoroughly cleanse them, separation of the cover 40 from the applicator cap 30 being readily effected since the cover ridges 44 are not locked under the lower skirt 33 of the applicator cap 30. The thoroughly cleansed applicator cap 36 with its sponge 38 may now again be screwed downwardly onto the neck 12 of the container 10 and the cover 40 thereafter slipped down over the cap 30 and locked thereto by means of the locking ridges 44.

Having now described my invention in conjunction with a particularly illustrated embodiment thereof, and realizing that various modifications and variations thereof will naturally occur to those persons normally skilled in the art without departing from the essential spirit or scope of my invention, it is my intention to claim the same broadly as well as specifically as indicated by the appended claims.

What is claimed as new, and usefulis:

1. A dispensing applicator container, comprising in combination, a deformable container having a pair of pyramided internally communicating neck portions each of which is externally threaded, the lower of said pair of neck portions extending directly from and internally communicating with the container and being surmounted by the upper of said pair of neck portions with the upper neck portion being of smaller diameter than the lower neck portion and having a centrally apertured top wall, a removable and replaceable closure cap interiorly threaded complementally to the externally threaded upper neck portion and being of transverse dimension no larger than the diameter of said lower neck portion, an applicator cap having an aperturcd top wall and depending from the underside thereof an internally threaded portion threaded complementally to the said externally threaded lower neck portion, said internally threaded portion being substantially concentric with the aperture in said applicator cap top wall and the aperture in said upper neck portion top wall when said applicator cap is screwably engaged with said container lower neck portion, the aperture in said applicator cap top wall being of sufiicient size to permit through passage of said closure cap when the latter is screwably engaged with said container upper neck portion, an absorbent a plicator element secured to the upper surface of said applicator cap top wall and including an opening therethrough substantially concentric with the aperture in said cap top wall, and an applicator element enclosing cover and means for detachably securing the same to said applicator cap.

2. A dispensing applicator container, comprising in combination, a deformable container having a pair of pyramided internally communicating neck portions each of which is externally threaded, the lower of said pair of neck portions extending directly from and internally communicating with the container and being surmounted by the upper of said pair of neck portions with the upper neck portion being of smaller diameter than the lower neck portion and having a centrally aperturcd top wall, a removable and replaceable closure cap interiorly threaded complementally to the externally threaded upper neck portion and being of transverse dimension no larger than the diameter of said lower neck portion, an applicator cap having an apertured top wall and depending from the underside thereof an internally threaded portion threaded complementally to the said externally threaded lower neck portion, said internally threaded portion being substantially concentric with the aperture in said applicator cap top wall and the aperture in said upper neck portion top wall when said applicator cap is screwably engaged with said container lower neck portion, the aperture in said applicator cap top wall being of suificient size to permit through passage of said closure cap when the latter is screwably engaged with said container upper neck portion, an absorbent applicator element secured to the upper surface of said applicator cap top wall and including an opening therethrough substantially concentric with the aperture in said cap top wall, and an applicator element enclosing cover and means for detachably securing the same to said applicator cap, said container upper neck portion projecting upward through the aperture in said applicator top wall and upward beyond the upper surface of the applicator cap top wall into the opening extending through said absorbent applicator element but terminating substantially below the upper surface of said applicator element when said applicator cap is screwably engaged upon said container lower neck portion.

3. A dispensing applicator container, comprising in combination, a deformable container having a pair of pyramided internally communicating neck portions each of which is externally threaded, the lower of said pair of neck portions extending directly from and internally communicating with the container and being surm unted by the upper of said pair of neck portions with the upper neck portion being of smaller diameter than the lower neck portion and having a centrally apertured top wall, a removable and replaceable closure cap interiorly threaded complementally to the externally threaded upper neck portion and being of transverse dimension no larger than the diameter of said lower neck portion, an applicator cap having an apertured top wall and depending from the underside thereof an internally threaded portion threaded complementally to the said externally threaded lower neck portion, said internally threaded portion being substantially concentric with the aperture in said applicator cap top wall and the aperture in said upper neck portion top wall when said applicator cap is screwably engaged with said container lower neck portion, the aperture in said applicator cap top wall being of suil'lcient size to permit through passage of said closure esp when the latter is screwably engaged with said container upper neck portion, an absorbent applicator element secured to the upper surface of said applicator cap top wall and including an opening therethrough substantially concentric with the aperture in said cap top wall, and an applicator element enclosing cover and means for detachably securing the same to said applicator cap, said container upper neck portion projecting upward through the aperture in said applicator top wall and upward beyond the upper surface or" the applicator cap top wall into the opening extending through said absorbent applicator element but terminating substantially below the upper surface of said applicator element when said applicator cap is screwably engaged upon said container lower neck portion, said applicator element being resiliently deformable and with the said opening therethrough into which said container upper neck portion projects being of smaller cross-sectional area than that of said upper neck portion so that said applicator element fits closely about said upper neck portion when said closure cap has been removed to prepare the dispensing applicator container for use.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,118,051 MacMichael May 24, 1938 3,016,561 Hulsh Jan. 16, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 434,198 Great Britain Aug. 19, 1935 

1. A DISPENSING APPLICATOR CONTAINER, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, A DEFORMABLE CONTAINER HAVING A PAIR OF PYRAMIDED INTERNALLY COMMUNICATING NECK PORTIONS EACH OF WHICH IS EXTERNALLY THREADED, THE LOWER OF SAID PAIR OF NECK PORTIONS EXTENDING DIRECTLY FROM AND INTERNALLY COMMUNICATING WITH THE CONTAINER AND BEING SURMOUNTED BY THE UPPER OF SAID PAIR OF NECK PORTIONS WITH THE UPPER NECK PORTION BEING OF SMALLER DIAMETER THAN THE LOWER NECK PORTION AND HAVING A CENTRALLY APERTURED TOP WALL, A REMOVABLE AND REPLACEABLE CLOSURE CAP INTERIORLY THREADED COMPLEMENTALLY TO THE EXTERNALLY THREADED UPPER NECK PORTION AND BEING OF TRANSVERSE DIMENSION NO LARGER THAN THE DIAMETER OF SAID LOWER NECK PORTION, AN APPLICATOR CAP HAVING AN APERTURED TOP WALL AND DEPENDING FROM THE UNDERSIDE THEREOF AN INTERNALLY THREADED PORTION THREADED COMPLEMENTALLY TO THE SAID EXTERNALLY THREADED LOWER NECK PORTION, SAID INTERNALLY THREADED PORTION BEING SUBSTANTIALLY CONCENTRIC WITH THE APERTURE IN SAID APPLICATOR CAP TOP WALL AND THE APERTURE IN SAID 